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It appears that Tennessee will be next state in line to repeal the increasingly unpopular Common Core education standards, joining South Carolina, Missouri, and Oklahoma. This week, the state House passed HB 1035 unanimously, a bill that calls for Common Core standards to be repealed and replaced with standards designed by the state. The state Senate followed shortly thereafter, passing the bill by a vote of 27-1.

It’s a new year, and the state legislatures have come roaring back into session chock full of ideas to stop the Common Core education standards that are damaging school systems all across the country. Last year, we saw Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina withdraw from the standards, and 2015 looks to be off to a good start.

Common Core is awfully unpopular for something that’s supposed to be so great. State after state is trying to keep academic freedom alive, and Tennessee is joining that list. Hearings have been held in the Volunteer State, and the fight is on.

The fate of school vouchers in Tennessee will be decided tomorrow, and there is an usual fight brewing. The problem doesn’t seem to be whether or not to offer vouchers, but how many and to whom. Arguments over these details could lead to vouchers being scrapped altogether.

While Tennessee currently allows students to switch from one public school to another, both in-and-out of district, their overall options are very limited. With the currently proposed legislation, SB196/HB190, legislators aim to create much greater educational opportunities that improve the lives of all children; especially low-income families. Children don’t deserve to fall victim to bureaucracies that standardize school programs when their individual needs are at stake.

In the midst of chaotic negotiations between the Senate and the House over the debt ceiling, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) had another priority: introducing the Main Street Fairness Act, a new quasi-federalized Internet sales tax.

In recent weeks, several states have debated imposing an Internet sales tax on businesses operated within the state. California has already pushed through a new Internet sales tax, with Governor Jerry Brown signing the legislation and hailing it as a ‘tax revenue’ increaser. As with all government actions, there have been some unintended consequences with the new California law; Amazon and O.co have shut down their affiliates based in California, taking thousands of jobs with them.

Tennessee lawmakers are pushing SB 0529, which would force Internet retail giant Amazon to collect state sales taxes that would be passed along to consumers. Amazon has threatened not to build planned distribution centers in Tennessee if the measures are put in place; they have already left Illinois, South Carolina and are threatening to leave Texas for similar legislation.

Across our country, responsible Governors and state legislators are tackling bloated state budgets by confronting the exorbitant influence held by public sector unions. In Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, FreedomWorks is supporting crucial legislation to “Save Our States”.